Social Action Theories

• This is anything that is done that requires thoughts on meaning and consequences  
• Weber – argued that social actions should be the focus in sociology.  
• Weber – argued that there are an infinite number of subjective meanings that people give to their actions  

Weber – different types of social action  

Type  

Explanation  

Traditional action 

Action’s carried out because of custom or habit. Such as buying gifts at Christmas  

Affective action  

Actions that are influenced by an emotional state, such as crying at funerals 

Value-rational action 

Actions that is lead by an overriding ideal or value. For example, if a person is committed to a particular religion, it is rational within that belief system to pray  

Instrumentally rational action  

Highly rational from of action where people calculate the likely results of behaviour in relation to a goal. Such as, a student may consider different the various costs and benefits of different actions before selecting a particular behaviour  

Evaluation of weber  

• Schutz – argues that the action theory is too individualistic and cannot explain the shared nature of meanings 
• Weber’s typology of action is difficult to apply and some actions belong to more than one type of action identified  
• We can never understand an individual’s actions so weber’s idea of verstehen (empathetic understanding of an individuals subjective action) cannot be applied 
• Leo & Newby – describe weber as a methodological individual who ignores how society is really structured  

Symbolic interactionism  

• Emphasises the way in which society actively shaped by the individual and the meanings they attach to ‘everyday things’  
• Usually regarded as a social action theory  
• The ‘I’ was the spontaneous side of our personality which would like to act freely, but we are aware of the way ‘generalised others’ of our society view us and expect us to behave  
• The more inhabiting self-concept seen through the eyes of others is termed the ‘me’  

Mead’s work 

• Human behaviour is social because people interact in terms of symbols 
• Symbols stand for other objects and imply certain behaviour. For example; ‘no entry’ symbol implies to the majority of people that they cannot enter 
• Mead’s work is correct in saying we associate symbols and meanings  
• But does this show there must be some sort of collective norms and values? Can we really say that reality being so complex comes down to the use of symbols 

• Cooley – called the ‘me’ side of our self the ‘looking-glass self’; referring to how, after a while, we being to view ourselves as if…